Large caliber weapons produce significant recoil upon firing. The recoil produced by the such that a standard rifle chambered for this cartridge cannot be fired directly from the shoulder without a significant risk of recoil-induced injury to the shooter. However, in recent years, the popularity of the .50 BMG cartridge has risen among hobbyists, the para-military, as well as in various branches of the armed forces. Private manufacturers, such as Research Armament Industries and Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. have produced shoulder-fired rifles chambered for .50 BMG that incorporate various recoil absorbing devices. While these weapons have enjoyed a degree of popularity among hobbyists, the .50 BMG likely represents the upper threshold of recoil absorbance for these weapons. For instance, it is not likely that the recoil-absorbing technology within conventional weapons could easily be adapted to a shoulder-fired rifle chambered for the 20 mm Vulcan round or even the 14.5 mm Russian cartridge. What is needed is a recoil dampening device that would allow a shooter to shoulder-fire a rifle chambered for a cartridge as small as the .50 BMG cartridge or as large as the 20 mm Vulcan cartridge.
It is known that recoil is a result of the force generated by the gases that propel the projectile, or bullet, out of a weapon's barrel. The recoil force experienced by the shooter of a conventional weapon is a product of the acceleration of the recoil impulse generated by these gases and the amount of time that the recoil impulse is experienced by the shooter. In a conventional weapon this amount of time is approximately the time that elapses while the gases are expanding out of the barrel, i.e. the time necessary for the projectile to leave the open end of the barrel. In a conventional weapon this is approximately three milliseconds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,192, which issued on May 25, 1954, F. H. Seely et al. disclosed an invention entitled RECOIL REDUCING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS. Seely's recoil reducing device was a gas-operated device designed to apply a force, roughly equal to the amount of recoil, to the end of the barrel in the opposite direction from the recoil force. This was intended to cancel out the recoil force experienced by the shooter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,694, which issued on Jan. 30, 1962, V. A. Browning disclosed an invention entitled RECOIL ABSORBING MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS. Browning's device was a gas operated device designed to minimize recoil.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,105,411 and 3,115,063, which issued on Oct. 1, 1963 and Dec. 24, 1963, respectively, Mr. Browning disclosed recoil absorbing mechanisms that were frictionally operated. Each of the Browning devices were designed to rapidly increase the resistance to the recoil over the period of time that the recoil forces were operating on the weapon, and thus initiate a progressive slowing down of the recoil movement. Thus, the Browning devices were dynamic in the sense that the recoil absorbance of the devices increased over time. Each of the Browning devices were coaxial with the firearms magazine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,348, which issued on Sept. 28, 1965, C. H. Lee disclosed an invention entitled GUN MUZZLE ATTACHMENT DEVICE FOR COUNTERACTING RECOIL. Lee's device operated on the venturi tube principle and caused the recoil gases to apply a force to the forward end of the barrel that was substantially equal to the recoil force and applied in an opposite direction to the recoil force. Lee's muzzle attachment was coaxial with the weapon's barrel. However, Lee's device is intended as a "choke" for shotgun type weapons and would not be useful or applicable to rifle type weapons.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,808, which issued on May 30, 1989, T. Strahan disclosed an invention entitled ANTI-RECOIL DEVICE. Strahan's device was also a gas-operated device. This device threaded into the end of a modified barrel and was coaxial with the barrel. Strahan's device had ports that diverted a portion of the recoil gases towards a spring mounted weight, thus driving the weight forward. Thus, the weight applies a force to the forward end of the device that was substantially equal to the recoil force and that was applied in a direction opposite the recoil force, thus counteracting the recoil force.
In U.S. Pat. No. 812,326, which issued on Feb. 13, 1906. John Browning disclosed an invention entitled RECOIL BRAKE FOR AUTOMATIC GUNS. Mr. Browning's recoil brake consisted of contractile collar-brake which operated frictionally upon the magazine of the gun. This collar-brake consisted of a split collar having a beveled flange that coacted with a beveled shoulder carried disposed at the forward end of the magazine. As the barrel traveled rearwardly during recoil, the beveled shoulder engages the beveled flange of the split collar causing the split collar to contract against the magazine. However, Mr. Browning's muzzle brake was not coaxial with the barrel and did not apply any force outwardly against a supportive tube coaxial with the barrel.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a recoil dampening device having a dynamic brake system which spreads the recoil force over a large period of time, thus effectively reducing the recoil force experienced by the shooter.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recoil dampening device that is coaxial with the barrel of a weapon.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a recoil dampening device that generates an outward force, that is self-locating and self-compensating for wear and thermal changes, against a supporting tube coaxial with the barrel of a weapon.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a recoil dampening device that accommodates the .50 BMG cartridge and larger cartridges, such as the 14.5 mm Russian and the 20 mm Vulcan cartridges, thus allowing these large cartridges to be comfortably fired from a shoulder-fired weapon.
Other objects and advantages over the prior art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description together with the drawings as described as follows.